At HARPTA.com, we have helped hundreds of clients with HARPTA related tax issues. The goal we always strive for is to get as large a refund as possible for clients like you - as quickly as possible.
There's one thing that seems to slow down the whole process the most.
That is when the home seller is not current on all Hawaii tax filings.
When HARPTA was first enacted, the purpose was to try to prevent non-resident home sellers from selling at a gain then neglect Hawaii state taxes.
The withholding was a way of making sure that they file all tax returns and pay all taxes due.
So it does make sense that when a home seller files for a HARPTA waiver, or an early, tentative HARPTA refund, the Hawaii State Department of Tax will first check to make sure the seller is current on all tax filings and payments before they issue a HARPTA waiver or early refund.
If you are a non-resident landlord, and you are thinking about selling your home in the near future, you must get caught up as soon as possible.
You can read about landlord requirements here: http://files.hawaii.gov/tax/legal/brochures/res_rp_brochure.pdf
You must understand that there is no statute of limitations on any tax returns that were not filed.
If you need help filing any past due tax returns, please contact us at brad@bradkcpa.com or 808-737-4412. We will be happy to assist you in getting caught up!